Analysis of signal and noise propagation for several imaging mechanisms

The utility of multivariate moment-generating functions for analyzing the influence of stochastic amplifying and scattering mechanisms on the transfer of signal and noise through multistage imaging systems was shown in a previous study [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A4, 895 ( 1987)]. Here we extend that study to include cases in which the amplification or scattering parameters are themselves stochastic variables. Each of these cases is illustrated by a physical example drawn from the study of radiographic screen–film imaging. For stationary, photon-limited inputs, expressions for the noise power spectrum and the detective quantum efficiency are derived for each case.